2026 French Open Preview: Alcaraz Out, Sinner Favored, Gauff Defends
The 2026 French Open at Roland Garros commenced with the withdrawal of two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz due to a right-wrist injury, which also sidelines him from Wimbledon. Among the men not participating are Arthur Fils, Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, and Holger Rune. In contrast, all top female seeds are competing, including Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and defending champion Coco Gauff, who did not secure any warm-up titles in Madrid or Rome. Gauff, who triumphed over Sabalenka in last year's final, faces a challenging matchup against Jelena Ostapenko, who holds a 6-0 advantage in their encounters. Jannik Sinner stands out as the men's favorite, riding an 11-match winning streak, with Alexander Zverev as the second seed and Novak Djokovic still in contention. Taylor Fritz was defeated by Nishesh Basavareddy.
Key facts
- Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the 2026 French Open due to a right-wrist injury and will also miss Wimbledon.
- Alcaraz was the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros.
- Arthur Fils, Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, and Holger Rune also withdrew from the men's draw.
- Top women's seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are all playing.
- None of the top four women won a clay warm-up title in Madrid or Rome.
- Coco Gauff is the defending champion, having beaten Sabalenka in last year's final.
- Iga Swiatek has four French Open titles but could face Jelena Ostapenko in the third round; Ostapenko leads 6-0 head-to-head.
- Marta Kostyuk gave a tearful speech after her opening win, revealing her family home in Kyiv was 100 meters from a Russian missile strike.
- Jannik Sinner is the men's favorite, on an 11-match winning streak; a win would complete his career Grand Slam.
- Taylor Fritz lost to wild card Nishesh Basavareddy (ranked 148th) in four sets.
Entities
Institutions
- Roland Garros
- French Open
- Wimbledon
- Australian Open
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Madrid
- Spain
- Rome
- Italy
- Kyiv
- Ukraine
- Carmel
- Indiana
- United States